Tales from Cabin 14

Tales from Cabin 14

Tales From Cabin 14… and other exotic places Stories about fish, the places they live, and the characters that pursue them. Tales from Cabin 14 is not your average, or “same old-same old” collection of fishing and outdoors stories. Naturalist and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, best summed up the theme behind the Cabin 14 stories, when he said: “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after.” While the actual “catch” is featured from time to time - and there are some pretty impressive catches - these stories focus on the places where fish congregate and the many characters I have met who have done so much to define and shape my experiences. Have you ever had the pleasure of being marooned, or come face to face with a Grizzly Bear? Well I have, and I’m sure you will find what transpired on both those occasions makes for some very interesting reading. You will meet the indomitable Uncle Harry, a character known to many as the "Map Maker," and travel with me on my very first trip into the wilds of northern Ontario, in search of fish - and French Fries. Not all of the characters featured in these stories are people. Get to know Thymallus, arcticus, the Arctic Grayling, a Pike named Peter, who I swear believed he was completely invisible. So pull up a chair and enjoy your visit to Cabin 14.

Wonderland

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“Wonderland consists of a series of five, interconnected ponds that are fed by underground artesian springs. Each pond features deep, cool, clear water with colours that vary from deep blue to teal and azure. One of the ponds is completely ringed by trees that come right down to the waters edge. The reflections of the trees, combined with numerous deadfalls that are visible beneath the surface of the water, combine to create a hypnotising mosaic of shapes, images and colours…”
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Where the Thunder Lizards Roamed

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“It is a land frozen in time, an ancient place, shrouded in both mystery and legend. The people of Great Bear Lake – the Sahtu Dene, have lived here since the beginning of time as we would perhaps understand it, and through the generations have handed down stories of Na acho – the gigantic mammals and birds that once roamed the earth. While it is unlikely that you will encounter a T-Rex today, the lake now boasts a new generation of giants – Lake Trout…”
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http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/tales-from-cabin-14#sigProId5f45c7011c
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Visiting an Old Friend

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“I have fished a good many places on Great Bear Lake over the years. While they have all produced big fish at one time or another, particularly Macintosh Bay, where on one rather remarkable day four of us caught and released thirty lake trout totalling 901 pounds – including one monster that tipped the scales at sixty six and one half pounds– the place that brings back some of the fondest memories is McGill Bay…”
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Uncle Harry

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Uncle Harry was a character. Born and raised in Welland, Ontario, during his eighty five plus years, Uncle Harry was a husband, father, grandfather, musician, soldier, police officer, fisherman, friend, uncle and of course, a character. He lived each day of his life as if it might be his last, and encouraged those around him to do the same.
View the embedded image gallery online at:
http://www.cabin14.ca/blog/tales-from-cabin-14#sigProIdeac509af80
My first, of what were to be many encounters with Uncle Harry, was on one of those Christmas visits every kid had to endure, as we were dragged off to visit family and friends that were only seen, or heard from during the holidays. I always dreaded those visits, and clearly remember my dad literally shoving me through the door…
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Styling on the Kogluktualuk

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After many years of planning, the stars and planets were finally in their proper alignment, and I was about to make my first trip to the legendary Tree, or Kogluktualuk River in Nunavut, to fish for what are arguably the worlds biggest Arctic Char.
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The Esnagami

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“A Mighty River is Made Up of Many Single Drops" - Afghan Proverb There is something very special about a rivers. They come in all shapes and sizes, and while we have managed to mess up quite a few of them, there are still an impressive number that, having been left to their own devices, continue to provide us with the opportunity to play at being Les Voyageur as we travel along them to this day.
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Tea...for one

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“It was at that point I noticed that our large mesh cook tent had been transformed into a large cook tent frame. This was because a good portion of the mesh, that had once formed the walls of the tent, was either missing entirely, or had a huge gaping hole in it. Every time I asked for an explanation, they just laughed harder and harder, and it was several minutes before they calmed down enough to sketch out the story…”
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Shangbanger and Son

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“The first time I met the Shangbanger and Son, who are otherwise known as Ed and Rodney Harback from Harriman, Tennessee, I would never have guessed that they were Great Bear Lake legends in the making. Even though they are father and son, you never met two more different people. Two peas in a pod they were not…”
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Pork Chops... and the Grizzly Bear

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“Looking at my watch and noticing that it was only three am, it became apparent that it was highly unlikely that anyone was up and about at that hour, even though the sun never does set at that time of year. The noise started to get louder, and I could hear what sounded like grunting and heavy breathing. So, unless someone was answering the call of nature, or who knows what else, we had company…”
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Peter - The Invisible Pike

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Esox petricus invisibilus “We were about to head over and work the weed line, when I spotted something that looked strangely out of place next to that lone stick of grass. We slowly moved over to take a look, and there was Peter, stuck in behind that one bit grass, with an expression on his face that only a mother could love. I guess you could say that Peter was not exactly the sharpest knife, or in this case Pike, in the drawer, because you got the distinct impression, he thought that he was invisible…”
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